Caterpillars On Citrus Trees

Caterpillars are common pests on citrus tree and they will bring severe harm to trees if unattended. Generally caterpillars are larvae of some insects like moths and butterflies. They will form a cocoon before growing into a flying insect. During this period, they will keep eating to provide adequate nutrients for their growth.

During the growth of the caterpillars, their main food is the citrus tree leaves. Decreased number of trees will weaken the ability of their photosynthesizing process. Also, the caterpillars will leave some wounds on the trees, making them easily be infected by fungi and other diseases.

To effectively control the harm of the caterpillars, you should choose suitable pesticides to kill corresponding caterpillars. Also, you should get rid of the infected leaves and branches as early as possible to lower the risk of getting infected by the fungi and other tree diseases. You can also manually control these larvae by hand-picking them off the tree. Most caterpillars will feed in the evening and they can be easily observed. You should regularly check the leaves and branches for the presence of caterpillar eggs.